Music Performances

All 2024-25 musical performances are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Beyond: NWU Fall Bands Concert

Wednesday, November 6 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

The NWU Symphonic Band explores works of music that reflect on various meanings of the word “beyond.” The Jazz Ensemble will perform repertoire of varied vernacular styles.

Jazz Ensemble at Eastmont Senior Living

Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Eastmont Senior Living, 6315 O St. Lincoln, NE 68510

The NWU Jazz Ensemble takes holiday cheer into the community with a performance at the Eastmont Senior Living community. All are welcome to attend!

Love and Joy Come to You: Christmas with Nebraska Wesleyan

Sunday, December 8 at 7 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th St., Lincoln

Celebrate Christmas with Wesleyan, and raise your voice in carols sung with the University Choir, Jazz Choir, Chamber Singers and Unity Choir. The Omaha Skutt Catholic High School Chamber Choir will join the NWU students in singing uplifting music that speaks to the heart of the holiday season.

My Heart Be Brave: NWU's Choir Tour

Wednesday, January 8 at 7 p.m.
Collegiate United Methodist Church, Ames, Iowa
featuring the Ames High School Concert Choir and Madrigal Choir

Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m.
Wesleyan United Methodist Church, Muscatine, Iowa

Friday, January 10 at 7 p.m.
Wartburg College Chapel, Waverly, Iowa
featuring the Wartburg Choir

Saturday, January 11 at 7 p.m.
Plymouth Congregational Church, Des Moines, Iowa
featuring Adel DeSoto Minburn High School Choir

Sunday, January 12 at 3 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, Omaha
featuring the Omaha Burke High School Choir

Monday, January 13 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
featuring the Elkhorn North Concert Choir and Lincoln North Star Concert Choir

The Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir and Jazz Choir spread a message of love, courage, resilience, and hope with communities in Iowa and eastern Nebraska, offering an expansive and expressive program of music from many cultures and eras. Featured composers include Johann Sebastian Bach, Pavel Chesnokov, Reena Esmail, Marques Garrett, Moses Hogan, and Robert Ray.

NWU Honors Choir Festival Concert

Saturday, February 7 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

Tickets must be purchased at the door for this event.

Nearly one hundred of Nebraska's finest high school musicians gather on campus to sing with guest composer/conductor Kyle Pederson and NWU's own Tom Trenney. Omaha Central High School's A Cappella Choir will be featured in the performance as well. For more information, visit Honors Choir.

NWU Honors Bands Festival Concert

Saturday, February 15 at 2:30 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

Tickets must be purchased at the door for this event.

Nearly 120 of Nebraska's finest high school musicians gather on campus to form two bands that will perform with guest conductor Jon Noworyta and NWU's Joshua Roach. For more information, visit Honors Bands.

Vive La France: Lincoln Civic Orchestra

Sunday, February 23 at 4 p.m. 
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

With this program, the Lincoln Civic Orchestra exclaims, "Vive La France!" The concert will begin with the Overture to Orpheus of the Underworld by French composer Jacques Offenbach. The string section will play an arrangement of highlights from Michael Giacchino's film score to Ratatouille. The performance will close with Maurice Ravel's popular orchestral showpiece, Ravel, during which virtually all sections of the orchestra will be featured as a singular melody is passed around the orchestra while a contagious ostinato plays beneath it.

I Believe: Celebrating Music of Black Composers

Sunday, February 23 at 7 p.m. 
First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln

NWU's University Choir joins the Plymouth Choir and St. Paul's Choir in a program conducted by Anton Armstrong, conductor of the renowned St. Olaf Choir. Repertoire includes Robert Ray's Gospel Mass and the Nebraska premiere of Margaret Bonds' Credo. Donations will be received to benefit Bridges to Hope.

NWU Bands Winter Performance

Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. 
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

The NWU Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble present their winter concert.

Cinematic Adventures: Lincoln Civic Orchestra

Sunday, April 13 at 4 p.m. 
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

The Lincoln Civic Orchestra takes the audience to the movies! Before the invention of the moving picture, composers began composing "programmatic" music designed to tell specific stories, or reflect specific images. Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome is such a work, and the orchestra will begin the concert with a performance of its finale; The Pines of the Appian Way. The orchestra will then move forward in time, celebrating highlights from recent film scores such as Pirates of the Carribean, Apollo 13, Band of Brothers, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.

Spring Celebration: NWU Bands

Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. 
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

The NWU Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble celebrate their spring performance together in O’Donnell.

NWU's Big Sing!

Sunday, April 27 at 7 p.m. 
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

More than 300 singers offer a vibrant and colorful program of choral music. NWU's four choirs will be joined by vocal ensembles from Lincoln's Standing Bear High School, Bennington High School, and Iowa's Shenandoah High School.

Mozart's Requiem

Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m. 
First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln

In anticipation of their performance at the Church of Sts. Simon Jude in Prague, the Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir will sing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's iconic Requiem with singers from First-Plymouth Church and Hastings College and a chamber orchestra. Donations will be received to benefit Community Crops.

NWU Commencement 

Saturday, May 10
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts

The Music Department joins the rest of the university in celebrating the achievement of our graduates. The University Choir will sing for the Baccalaureate service at First United Methodist Church, and the Symphonic Band will play before and during the commencement ceremony in Abel Stadium.

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